Plan ahead and sidestep any station 'offlines'

Details

16 March 2016

Rea Vaya commuters - plan ahead, know your alternative options, and you won't be caught out if smartcard loading at your station happens to be temporarily offline. (You'll also avoid having to stand in queues like the one above!)

Occasional station "offlines" are - like those times when your bank ATM is "temporarily out of order" - part of our modern, hi-tech world.

But Rea Vaya is working hard to close the loopholes in its system that are causing station "offlines".

And as commuters you can play your part as well - firstly by planning ahead for your week's travel, secondly by knowing what your options are in case you're caught out.

It's the same with travelling in any city or country in the world today - the traveller has to take his or her share of the responsibility for a successful journey.

Load your smartcard in advance

Loading your smartcard in advance of the coming week (or month) is simply the smartest move you can make. Not only will you be unaffected by any "offlines" at your stations in the coming week or month, but also:

You'll be able to pick the time and place that suits you best for easy loading.

Use Absa cash-accepting ATMs for loading

Remember, you can also load your smartcard at any cash-accepting Absa ATM, regardless of whether or not you're an Absa bank account holder. For simple instructions on how to do this, check the following link, and/or the short video clip below:

Caught short? Make use of your options

If you do find you're suddenly unable to load at a station because it's temporarily offline, don't panic - take stock of your options:

1. Maybe you don't have to load now in order to travel. Station offlines don't stop the buses from running or the smartcard validators from working. So as long as you have at least R13.30 in your card (this is the minimum required to board Rea Vaya), you can travel as usual.

2. The next station is always walkable - load there. Rea Vaya currently has 48 stations in total, spaced on average 500 metres from each other. So check with your station staff, and if the next station is online, walk there to do your loading and boarding.

3. An Absa ATM may be even closer - load there. Many Rea Vaya stations are close to at least one, and often more than one, cash-accepting Absa ATM where you can load your smartcard. For example:

4. Buy a single- or double-trip card. It is a bit more expensive than smartcard travel (R13.80 for a single trip, R26.50 for a double), but it'll get you to where you need to go, as well as to a station or Absa ATM where you can load your card.